When Chak De India’s POOR OPENING At Box Office Left Shahrukh Khan All UPSET & He Left For London!

With its message of patriotism, secularism and women's empowerment, 'Chak De! India' continues to be a film for the times 10 years on, says the team of Shimit Amin, Jaideep Sahni and Shahrukh Khan.

For director Shimit, story writer Jaideep and star Shah Rukh, this is one that will live on, and not just in their filmographies.

‘Chak De India Is Patriotic Without Being Jingoist'

"The film is patriotic without being jingoist, it is cool without being frivolous, it is intense but not boring," SRK told PTI.

Chak De! India regarded as one of Indian cinema's most successful and loved sports films, was released on August 10, 2007.

The Makers Waited For More Than A Year For SRK

SRK says he did the film, which he describes as one of the most special in his career, for his father.

"Shimit made it beautifully and I am glad that Adi (producer Aditya Chopra) thought of me as Kabir Khan. They waited for me for more than a year. The heart and the soul of the film are the young girls."

Many Thought SRK Won’t Be Able To Pull Of Kabir’s Character

Due to his romantic hero persona, many thought he would not be able to pull off Kabir Khan's character, says Shah Rukh.

"It is one of the few films of mine which opened very poorly. I was really disturbed. My father used to play hockey. The only reason I did this film was because I could use something that my father had taught me. I was emotionally attached with the film. But it did really well after opening poorly."

Later, Chak De! India’s Poor Opening Left Him All Upset

He was so nervous about the film's future that he left for London. "It was a lovely film and I did not want to hear all that (negativity)."

Shimit says the team approached the story with idealism. "We felt it was a special film and something that would be made on its own. We believed in the idealism of what we were doing. We had this amazing sense that we were going to make the best film that we could. There was no calculation involved."

But, Later, The Film Was Successful

The director, who went on to make "Rocket Singh", says "Chak De!" did not impress viewers in a test screening. They realised they had a successful film only after its release.

Why SRK Looked Apt For The Film Despite Being A Romantic Hero?

Asked why they picked Shahrukh for a role that involved no romance, the director says they wanted someone with a certain kind of grace and dignity.

"Shahrukh had that presence. He had that maturity. He also came from a middle class background. There were a lot of things that felt right about him. Adi pitched the film to SRK and he told us that it sounded very interesting to him."

Shimit’s Fav Moment From The Film

"This was a sports film and we needed a motivational speech. It was exciting to see SRK act that part. He really killed it."

There’s One More..

Another favourite scene is Kabir Khan's reaction when the team actually wins - there are no tears, no hugs just a deep sigh as he turns away from the euphoria on the field.

Here’s Why The Film Didn’t Have A Conventional Ending..

The director says he is glad that they did not opt for a conventional ending.

"When you come to think of it, this is not a very 'filmy' moment. We had seen a Japanese coach react like that during Olympics. The idea behind the scene was that this person has given so much of himself that he no longer knows how to react.

Shimit Describes The Last Scene Of Chak De! India

"He had held himself together for this particular moment and then he just does not know. There is a separation that starts for him right at that moment. He realises that he is no longer a part of this game and has done his bit and it is now over

For Writer Jaideep, The Story Is A "Piece Of His Heart" He Shared With The World

"As a writer I feel like 'Chak De!' is a piece of my heart which now belongs to everybody. There were things that we felt very emotional about and we wanted to say those things with the film," says the man who also wrote "Khosla Ka Ghosla" and "Company".

It all started when he spotted an article about women athletes in the back page of a newspaper, a story, he says, that should have been on the front page.

"Women athletes have always been great. It is just that nobody knew about them. The more time I spent with them the more angry I became. They are not the first people that come to your mind when you think about national heroes. The whole motivation was to create a bridge between them and the rest of the country," Sahni says.